Pierceless ear-drop.



No. 879,358. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

11. s. BRANT. PIERGBLESS EAR DROP.

"APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1907.

NVENTUR To n @Buuit.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S.ZBRANT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CORY & REYNOLDS COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

rntacnmzss EAR-DROP.

To all whom it may concern Be a known that 1, JOHN s. BRANT, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pierceless Ear-Drops, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to improvements in ear-drops of the pierceless type, and it consists of an integral frame bent to a U-shaped form, one end of which constitutes a setting for the gem or ornament the other end portion being hollow and cylindrical and rovided with a spring pressed retainingar,

the rear end of the latter being adapted to interlock with said cylinder so as to hold the -'bar in the retracted or open osition, all as more fully hereinafter set fort and claimed.

represents, in e In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1- arged scale, a si e elevation of my improvedpierceless ear-drop. Fig. 2

is a partial longitudinal sectional view,

further enlarged, showing the retaining-bar 1n the retracted or normally open position.

- 3-is a corresponding end view, the bar memberibe omitted. Fig. '4 represents a. lan view o f t h e metal blank from which the ame or yoke is formed, and Fig. 5 is a sec- ,tional view similar to Fig. 2, showing a slight mod' cation, the bar being in the released or advanced position.

In my im roved pierceless ear drop A the frame or yo e member Bthereof is integral and formed from the sheet-metal blank rep resented in F 4. That is to say, one end, a, is enlarge and ada ted or arranged to constitute a'setting for t a gem or ornament, as 1); the opposite or inner face of said portion a eing convex-shaped. The shank a of the frame IS'bGDt to a U-shape and terminates at its rear end in the'horizontal tubular member a; this latter is by means of suitable tools and dies converted 'from the blank-portion d.

(Fig. 4) into the cylindrical form, the stock at the same time being bent or inturned to form the rear end 0, a suitable notch b being formed at the bott'om as clearly 'shown.-

A light wire,-:or retainihg-bar Pi asses longitudinally the center 0 said tube a and end e; its rear'portion, i, being t e latter bentand terminating in the end p',

arranged to fit the said notchbk The'opposite or front end of the bar is provided with a fixed cap or enlargement 10 having a con- Specific'ation of Letters Patent. Application filed se ta... 13. 1907. Serial No. 392.666.

Patented Feb. 18,1908.

vex form cross-sectionalll y, ada ted in use to bear against the rear 'su ace 0 the ear lobe,

and being oppositely disposed to the said convex surface of the setting member a.

A light helical spring s is mounted on the bar 1p and is supported in the tubular head a ;t e is in use'being to maintain theparts a and 1 in resilient frictional contact with the earobe-of the wearer. By making the outer diameter of the spring equal to the bore of the action of the spring when the ear-drop the spring maintaining it in the locked or open position. See Fig. 2. Now upon placing the eardrop in the desired position, the ear-lobe then extending into the open yoke, the wearer sim ly turns the retaining-bar axially a short istance, to free it from said notch, and at the same time releases it, the spring then expanding to snugly press the opposing mem ers, a, against the re spective sides of the earobe, thus completingthe operation. A reversal of the action just described quickly releases the ear-drop.

. The device is simple, efficient and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and

is practically solderless.

am aware that pierceless ear-drops, so

called, have been devised prior to my inven tion. In former articles ofthis class the retaining-bars or analogous members have m some cases been screw threaded; in other cases the bars or movablemembers have been-provided with swinging levers arranged to be manipulated by the wearer for the purpose of varying the space or opening to re--' ceive the ear-lobe. 7 What I claim as new and ,desireto secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

L'JAs an improved article of manufacture the pierceless ear-dropherein described, the same consisting of a substantially U-sha ed frame or yoke having .one arm or mem er thereof provided with a setting arranged to carry a gem or ornament, an endwis e movablespnng-pressed retaining-bar carried by normall the other arm of said frame, said bar bein disposed at the rear of and in substantia alinement with the said setting, and means for locking the bar WhGII'lIl its retracted or open osition.

2. n a pierceless ear-drop, the combination of an lntegral U-shaped yoke having its front end enlarged and adapted to carry a gem or ornament the other or rear end of-the yoke being bent to form a hollow horizontal cylinder, and a spring-pressed retaining-bar longitudinally and axially movable therein having its rear portion eXtendin through'the back end of the cylinder and a a ted to engage therewith for holding the ar in the open or retracted position, substantial y as described. 3. In a pierceless ear-drop, a -U-shaped yoke or frame, a head member having its free end enlarged and convex-shaped on its rear yie dingly' contact withv the .rear surface of the ear-lobe whereby the ear-drop is adapted to be readily attached to the ear,- and means for temporarily securing the bar in the open or retracted position, substantially as hereinbeilfore described and for the purpose set fort Signed at Providence, R. I this 12th day of September 1907. JOHN s. BRANT.

* Witnesses:

Gno. H. REMINGTON, CHARLES C. REMINGTON. 

